■773- «me far before be Hopped; and after fome little converfa-
O&ptj&r* o , _
v— -y~-> tipn between him and another man, we returned bacjc, and
hl,r h prefently after, the king appeared with very few attendants.
As foon as Attago faw him coming, he fat down under a
tree, and defired us to do the fame. The king feated him-
felf on a riling ground, about twelve or fifteen yards from
u s : here we fat facing one another for fome minutes. I
waited for Attago to Ihew us the way; but feeing he did
not rife, Captain Furneaux and I got up, went and fa-
luted the king, and fat down by him. We then prefented
him with a white Hurt (which we put on his back) a few
yards of red cloth, a brafs kettle, a faw, two large fpikes,
three looking-glalfes, a dozen of medal*» and fome firings
of beads. All this time he fat with the fame fullen flupid
gravity as the day before; he even did not feem to fee or
know what we were about; his arms appeared immoveable
at his. fides; he did not fo much as raife them when we put
on the Ihirt. I told him, both by words and figns, that we
were going to leave his ifland ; he fcarcely made the leaf!;
anfwer to this, or any other thing, we either faid or did.
We, therefore, got up and took leave; but I yet remained
near him, to obierve his actions. Soon after, he entered into
converfation with Attagt» and an old woman, whom we
took to be bis mother. I did not underftand any part, of
the converfation; it however made him laugh, in fpite of
his affumed gravity. I fay aflumed, becaufe it exceeded
every thing of the kind I ever faw ; and therefore think it
could not be his real difpofition (unlefs he was an ideot
indeed), as thefe iflanders, like all the others we had lately
vifited, have a great deal of levity; and he was in the prime
of life. At laft, he rofe up, and retired with his mother and
two or three more.
6 Attago
Attago conducted us to another circle, where were feated »775-
the aged chief and feveral refpedtable old perfons of both c —°-r'.»
fexes; among whom was the prieft, whp was generally Tt"1'a‘y 7‘
in company with this chief. We obferved that this reverend
father could walk very well in a morning; but, in an
evening, was obliged to be led home by two people. By
this we concluded, that the juice of the pepper-root had the
fame effefl upon him, that wine and other ftrong liquors
have on Europeans who drink a large portion of them. It
is very certain, that thefe old people feldom fat down without
preparing a bowl of this liquor; which is done in the
fame manner as at Ulietea. We, however, muft do them
thejuftice to believe, that it was meant to treat .us: never-
thelefs, the greateft part, if not the whole, generally fell to
their fliare. I was not well prepared to take leave of this
chief, having exhaufted almoft all our ftore on the other.
However, after rummaging our pockets, and treafury bag,
which was always carried with me wherever I went, we
made up a tolerable prefent, both for him and his friends.
This old chief had an air of dignity about him that commanded
refpedl, which the other had not. He was grave,
but not fullen ; would crack a joke, talk on indifferent fub-
je&s, and endeavour to underftand us and be underftood
himfelf. During this vifit, the old prieft repeated a fliort
prayer'or fpeech, the purport of which we did not underftand.
Indeed he would frequently, at other times, break
out in prayer ; but I never faw any attention paid to him by
any one prefent. After a ftay of near two hours, we took
leave, and returned on board, with Attago and two or three
more friends, who ftaid and breakfafted with us; after
which they were difmifled, loaded with prefents.
VoL. I. E e Attago